Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/96

 64 HISTOR"^ OF GREECE. ually Known to Alexander, always attached to his person, and actin^ as adjutants or as commanders for special service. These Body-Guards appear to have been chosen persons promoted out of the Royal Youths or Pages ; an institution first established by Philip, and evincing the pains taken by him to bring the leading Macedonians into military organization as well as into depend- ence on his own pei'son. The Royal Youths, sons of the chief persons throughout Macedonia, wei'e taken by Philip into ser- vice, and kept in permanent residence around him for purposes of domestic attendance and companionship. They maintained perpetual guard of his palace, aliernating among themselves the hours of daily and nightly watch ; they received his horse from the grooms, assisted him to mount, and accompanied him if he ■went to the chase : they introduced persons who came to solicit interviews, and admitted his mistresses by night through a spe- cial door. They enjoyed the privilege of sitting down to dinner with him, as well as that of never being flogged except by his special order, i The precise number of the company we do not dovuv Tovi Tiaida^, oaot eg yT^iKiav efiecpaKiaavro, KaraAeyea-Qat eg ■depa- iTEcav Tov (SaaOtecjg, Ta 6e Tvepl Ttjv u2.?iTiv diaiTav tov aufinrog SiaKovela- '^ac (3aac7^el, Kai Kotfiufievov ^vTiuaasiv, rovroiq kneTETpa-XTO' koI bnore t^i- ^avvoi f3aai?.Evg, tovq IrrTTOvg Trapu ruv imroKofiuv dEXofievot iKelvoi npo- ai)yov, Koi uvepaXov ovtoi (iaaiTiEa tov HspaiKov rporrov Kal rrjg etvI ^fjpa ipiTiOTi/xiag (iaaLkel kolvuvoI 7jaav, etc. Curtius, viii. 6. 1. " Mos erat principibus Macetlonum adultos liberos regibus tradere, ad raunia baud multum servilibus ministeriis abborrentia. Excubabant servatis noctium vicibus proximi foribus ejus aedis, in qua rex aquiescebat. Per hos pellices introducebantur, alio aditu quam quern armati obsidebant. lidera acceptos ab agasonibus equos, quum rex ascen- surus esset, admovebant; comitabanturque et vcnantem, ct in prseliis, omnibus artibus studiorum libcralium exculti. Prsecipuus honor habebatur, quod licebat sedentibus vesci cum rcge. Castigandi eos verberibus nullius potestas prcEter ipsum erat. Ha?c cohors velut seminarium ducum praifec- torumque apud Macedonas fuit: bine habuere posteri reges, quorum stirpi- bus post multas letates Romani opes ademerunt." Compare Curtius, v. 6, 42 ; and Mlian, V. H. xiv. 49. This information is interesting, as an illustration of Macedonian manners nnd customs, which are very little known to us. In the last hours of tlie .Macedonian monarchy, after the defeat at Pydna (168 b. c ), the pueri regit followed the defeated king Perseus to the sanct larv at Snmotbnu-e. and
 * Arrian, iv. 13, 1. 'E/c ^lXItcttov ^v 7/67] Ka&EGTTjKog. tCjv ev -eXei Ma/ce-